Escape routes

[Guest Mattf]

Hi,

I am hoping somebody on here may be able to help shed some light for me, as I cannot seem to get a definitive answer by myself.

I know that according to the offices and shops fire risk assessment guidance, that all doors etc. on the escape route need to be able to resist the passage of smoke and fire to enable escape, my question is this:

If an escape route is an enclosed hallway, and this hallway has office rooms leading from the sides of the corridor, does this mean that the doors on the offices need to be fire doors, with intumescent strips installed or something equally as effective, or is it just the fire doors at either end of the corridor that need to be fire doors resistant to the passage of smoke?

To me, the escape route starts once you have entered into the hallway, and this is what is throwing me, as I don't know if this means that the doors into/out of the offices into the corridor need to be fire doors, and need to be resistant to the passage of smoke.

 

Any help would be gratefully accepted,

 

Thanks,

 

Matt

[Tom Sutton]

You have a protected escape route and an escape route and it will depend on travel distance/time which you require. If it is a protected escape route all doors opening into that route are required to be fire and smoke resisting if it is an escape route then standard doors are acceptable. In a multi storey building staircases are usually protected escape route which may include a lobby which has to be protected. Depending on  travel distance/time, part of corridors may have to be protected but it all depends on the layout of the premises.

[MattF]

Ok, 

Thanks Tom. I think from reading into it, i need a protected escape route as the route is a 'dead end' route, with just one way out. Would you say this was accurate? 

Is there anywhere you can point me so i can find out which type of escape route i need. I need to be able to confidently say which type before i advise my clients as to the reason they require all doors to be fire doors, if that turns out to be the case. 

Thanks

[Tom Sutton]

If it is a dead end route, you are correct they have to be a protected routes all guidance on MoE will show this.

[AnthonyB]

If it's an initial dead end an alternative solution to fire doors in the guides is the provision of automatic smoke detection (part of the buildings fire alarm system, not self contained detectors) to every room.

[Guest Mark]

Hi guys

In my place of work they are placing a faraday cage in one of the offices with the entrance being via the office itself which makes it a room within a room which will be occupied frequently.

 

I have questioned where the exit should be as it can be located in a position where occupants can exit straight into a protective corridor leading a fire exit. The project manager has told me she has discussed this with the H+S officer and he is ok with the plans.

The plan is to have the door opening into the office and any occupants would then have to exit that door into the office and then exit through the office door into the protected corridor. 

I think this is incorrect and a breach of the fire regs as the distance they will have to travel from the dead end to an external exit will be increased significantly and therefore slow their exit out of the building.

 

Thoughts anyone>>

[AnthonyB]

All it sounds like they are doing is creating an inner room, which if travel distances were OK before will remain acceptable. There would need to be one of the following:

- Vision panel between inner room & access room; or

- Automatic Detection (smoke) to the access room; or

- The partition between the inner and access rooms stopping at least 500mm below the ceiling